Despite Advances, Women Still Have a Long Way to Go

Here are some facts that will make your eyes pop: In the U.S. today, 47% of the workforce is comprised of women, yet 42 million women live at or near the brink of poverty. Women are the breadwinners or co-breadwinners of nearly two thirds of American families; they control $20 trillion in global spending and outnumber men at every level of the higher education ladder.

Like for most of you, women are at the center of my life. They are the pillars that sustain my family and my community. They are role models, supporters, providers and caregivers. And they are the ones driving the civic participation of their families.

Many of the women I know have gone on to college and are now in solid middle class careers. But I also know many who, for a myriad of reasons, did not. Yet, regardless of whether they are college educated or working in low-skill jobs, they are all struggling to leave their kids on better economic footing. And many of them find it difficult to balance work and family responsibilities in light of our outdated policies—such as unpaid sick days—which sometimes put their, or even their partners’, jobs at risk.